


Diamond Hearts Shouldn't Bleed

by beyondAgitated



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: A compass tattoo points towards your soulmate at all times but with a twist, A6d is a nice guy and isn't a dick, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Character Turned Into Vampire, Finn/Rose is genderfluid, Human! Skeppy, Human/Vampire Relationship, M/M, Major Character Death but it's for plot I promise, SkepHalo Vampire AU, Soulmate AU - Compass, Trigger Warning: A6d, Vampire! BadBoyHalo, tags to be updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27906616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyondAgitated/pseuds/beyondAgitated
Summary: Zak is a college student, in the beginning of his second year. He's single, thinks he has everything planned out. Until he bumps into a kind (and rather attractive) stranger that he's never seen before. Suddenly, he can't focus on his grades, and his heart aches to be with the man named Darryl. And it seems like he wants the same.But then a friend of Zak's goes missing, and he has to do what he can to find him. He doesn't expect to get roped up into a mystery of large proportions, and he especially doesn't expect to find Darryl in the middle of it.In a rush to find his missing friends (and protect his heart from breaking), he has to deal with a mixed collaboration of running for his life and falling in love - all while keeping his grades up so he graduates.(Updates whenever I have a chapter ready)
Relationships: Antfrost/VelvetIsCake (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	1. Zak

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know I saw that with every one of my works, but it really means a lot. If you enjoy the story, please consider leaving kudos and/or a comment! It really motivates me to continue.

I grumble as I look out my dorm window. Heavy rainfall lands on the windowsill and pane, showing an interesting pattern made by raindrops. I root around on the floor for my raincoat, and pull it on and tug the hood over my head. Mumbling about how my backpack is gonna get soaked, I grab my key and leave the dorm, my roommate dozing before his class starts.

I make it down the stairs and to the exit, and take a long stare at the inch deep puddles of water that sit on the sidewalk. With a sigh, I hunch the straps of my bag up and bolt through the storm to the computer building. I’m not looking where I’m going at all, and the second I’m indoors, I hit something as strong as a brick wall. This results in me falling, and I spin around so I don’t crush the contents of my bag. My face lands on the rough carpet, and I taste blood on my tongue.

“Oh, no! I am so sorry! Are you okay?!”

The moment I’m pulled up and meet the stranger’s eyes, butterflies erupt in my stomach. The young man’s warm brown eyes are filled with concern and worry, and he worries his bottom lip between straight, white teeth. Brown hair drips from the storm outside, the rainwater leaving tracks down his pale, but fair, skin. Raindrops are also speckling the lenses of his glasses, which now sit askew. 

He wears a dark grey hoodie with a red star on the front. A black and red windbreaker without a hood is worn on top of it to protect the hoodie from the rain for the most part. It does nothing for his blue jeans, however, as they are partially soaked through. It’s still attractive on him

I take several moments to process the beauty of the man in front of me, and finally snap out of it when I’m asked again if I’m alright. I give a short nod and clear my throat. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Sorry for running into you.”

The man visibly relaxes with a sigh. “Oh, that’s good. I was worried that you’d hit your head and got a concussion or something.”

I chuckle lightly. “Nope, I’m all good. Thanks for worrying, though.” I reach up to wipe at the stinging mark on my jaw, and pull my hand away to find it red. “Oh, I cut myself. No matter, I’ll just go to the bathroom and wash…” The man is gone. I hadn’t even noticed him leave. And he just left without any other word?

_ That’s rude,  _ I think to myself. But then my brain supplies an answer.  _ Maybe he was late for a class or something. _ When I check the clock, I realize I’m late for my own class. With a soft swear, I rush down the hall and dash down to my seat just seconds before the professor sits down.

Try as I might, I just can’t focus on my class. I spend the whole hour thinking about the handsome stranger I’d run into. Questions constantly spring to mind, like where he went, why he ran, stuff like that. At the end of the class, I go up to collect my homework, knowing I’m probably going to fail this piece. I slowly leave the room, going down the hall to find the door. I hope the rain has stopped.

Unsurprisingly, it has not, and I sigh and tug my raincoat back on, shoving aside the thoughts of that man again. I have a French class to get to; my roommate, Vincent, will kill me if I miss another. I am very much considering switching to a language that makes more sense to me, like German. 

I make it into my seat and I’m surprised to not already see Vincent; for once, my roommate is late to class. I take that as a chance to catch up on Twitter and start scrolling. I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Where are your French notes, Zak?”

I sigh, relaxing as I realize it’s just my roommate. “Give me a break, Vin. I’m tired. You don’t even have to take this class; you’re doing it for my benefit.”

“And it’s a good thing, too,” he states, dropping into the seat beside me. “With your scores, you need all the help you can get. Especially if you want to visit Europe someday; most European languages are latin based, like French.”

I grumble again, but dig into my backpack and find my French notes. I actually try to pay attention, and with Vin’s help, I am actually doing okay. That is, until the classroom’s door opens, and in walks the gorgeous stranger from before. I tense up and watch him as he fast-walks down to the professor in a mild frenzy.

I’m shocked out of my focus on the stranger’s bottom half by Vincent, who nudges me with a smirk. “Gotta crush?”

I nudge my roommate back a little harder, feeling my cheeks warm. “Nope.  _ Casse-toi. _ ”

Vincent chuckles and corrects my mispronunciation so the right insult is said. “Alright, what’s his name?”

“Don’t know him,” I push through my teeth. I can’t help the small sigh that escapes my lips as the stranger smiles, though. At Vincent’s pressing gaze, I sigh and drop my pencil. “What do you want to know? We met for a moment this morning, right before coding class.”

“You’re not telling me something. Come on, dude. Spit it out.”

I hesitate again, but finally give in. “Alright, so I ran into him cause I wasn’t watching where I was going. And surprisingly, I was the one to fall over.”

“Guess you fell for him, huh? Ow.” Vin’s snicker is cut off by my fist in his shoulder. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. On the condition that you go talk to him.”

“No way! I’ve got vocabulary to remember!”

“Zak’s got a crush,” Vincent sings, ducking out of the way of another hit. Some classmates start to look.

“Okay, stop! I’ll do it!” I whisper-shout, much to my roommate’s continued amusement. “I’ll try to catch him after class.” Vin glances up with an unreadable look. “What?”

“Hey,” states a mildly familiar voice. I spin around to see the stranger and go pink again. “May I sit here?”

“Um, yeah. Of course,” I stammer out. Vin gives me a quick nudge, and I stick my hand out carefully. “I’m Zak.”

The man smiles dazzlingly and takes my hand, giving it a soft shake. “I’m Darryl. How good is your French?” he asks. At my involuntary flinch, he smiles again. “Not great? I can help you with today’s homework over lunch if you want?”

I take a second to process, but then push myself into my calmer self and lean on the table. “Are you asking me out on a date?” I tease, easily slipping into a joking tone. I’m pleased to see Darryl’s face go red.

“I…. um….”

“I’m okay with whatever. But yeah, I’d like some help. Who knows, maybe you’ll be a better helper than Vincent here.” I nudge my roommate with a chuckle. “Do we wanna eat here on campus, or find somewhere off campus?”

Darryl clears his throat. “Um, off campus works. Wendy’s sound good?”

I nod, and return the smile I receive. “Awesome. It’s only a block off campus, so we can walk there. Wanna walk together, or meet up there?”

Darryl hums in thought. “I’ll meet you there at noon?”

I check my watch. “Yeah, I can do that. I’ve only got one more class for the day, and it’s in ten minutes.”

“Speaking of which,” Vincent interrupts, “French is over. You two are just sitting here chatting. I’ll see you back at the dorm, Zak. Don’t stay out too late; we’ve got that movie you wanted to watch.”

I sigh and nod. “I’m a grown ass man, but sure. I’ll make sure I’m home in time for your movie. Now go to your next class before you’re late.”

Vincent gathers his things and takes off, and I face Darryl again. “So. Sorry again for running into you this morning.”

Darryl nervously chuckles. “It’s okay. I’m also sorry for running off like that. Um… Blood makes me really queasy. Even the smallest of drops of it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind.” And I mean it.

We both get up and head towards the door. By then, the rain has stopped, and I grin as I see the sun peeking out of a few clouds. I also notice that Darryl seems nervous and pulls the hood of his hoodie over his head. He hangs his face and tucks his hands into the kangaroo pocket. We made it to the Arts Building, and Darryl relaxes and tugs his hood off.

“Everything okay?” I ask him.

Darryl nods. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just sensitive to the sun. It’s a skin condition that I was born with. Ah, here’s my class.”

I glance at the room number. “Alright. Mine is further down. I’ll see you at Wendy’s at noon?” Darryl nods again, and I return it with a smile. “Alright, later, Darryl.”

“Bye, Zak.” We split up, and I nearly skip down the hall. I stop myself, though, and silently grin to myself. I have a lunch date with a cute boy.


	2. Darryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The previous chapter, but in Darryl's POV :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, just wanted to let everyone know that I went back and edited the first chapter and changed the tense and pronoun use so it made it easier for me to write. Basically, I changed it from "he did this" to "I did this," and then changed "I did this" to "I am doing this." You're welcome to go back and reread it if you want, but I'll understand if you don't want to, as it's the only thing I changed. Happy reading!

I sigh with relief as I wake up and peek outside my dorm window to see dark storm clouds and rain. I know it isn’t going to stick around very long, though, and quickly get dressed. I make sure to wear my hoodie with the bigger hood and grab my glasses, tucking them onto my face before leaving the dorm.

I walk through the rain at my normal pace, enjoying the cool water running down my face and hands, and then my back as it soaks my hair and drips down. I grin as I walk, really happy for the rain. I love the rain for many reasons; it’s so pretty, it makes the air smell soft and fresh, and, best of all: it hides the sun from barring its hot little rays on my sensitive skin.

I enter the Computer Building and shake myself off, starting my walk towards the other end of the building. I’m only halfway down the very long hall when I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn in time to brace myself against the person who hits me like a brick wall, and I try to throw my arms out to catch the person, but fail.

“Oh, no!” I immediately shout. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?!” I quickly help the young man up, wondering how hard he’d hit his head when I see the dazed expression on the other’s face. I take this moment to look over the young man.

He wears a yellow raincoat that’s tucked around a light blue hoodie. A derpy face peeks out between the raincoat flaps. Going further up, the man has dark brown hair that’s made darker by the rain. It peeks out of a dark blue beanie, and frames equally dark brown eyes. Now that I think about it, the young man is actually kind of cute. However, he’d yet to reply, and is worrying me more.

“Hello?” I prompt.

He shakes his head a little, then nods. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about running into you.”

I sigh with relief. “Oh, that’s good. I was worried you hit your head and got a concussion or something.”

The young man chuckles and shakes his head. “Nope, I’m all good. Thanks for worrying, though.”

I smell it before I see it. The stranger in front of me reaches up with curiosity as the scrape on his cheek starts to drip blood, and I panic and bolt as the urge to step closer nearly takes over. I vaguely recall hearing the man say something else, but I’m already gone and way down the hall.

I duck into the far bathroom and into a stall, pressing my hands against my racing heart. I have to calm down; I’m lucky to have eaten the night before, or else I might have actually attacked right then and there. And in the middle of daylight and public, too? I have to get a grip on myself.

But then I pause and think for a moment. Why am I so affected by such a small amount of blood? I pride myself on not being affected by even large amounts before now. Even when I’m practically starving; so why was that small drop enough to send me bolting for privacy? I have to talk to my friends. I stumble for my phone and call my friend Geo.

“What’s up?” answers the man on the other end quickly.

“I was tempted for the first time in forever,” I whisper. The other end goes silent for a moment.

“Are you sure?” Geo’s voice is carefully guarded.

“I’m sure. I ran before I could do anything, though. Probably upset him….”

“Tell me everything that happened,” he replies. “I wanna know, and I’m sure Finn does, too.”

So I take a deep breath and tell my side of the story quietly. “And now I’m probably never going to see him again,” I finish.

“Hmm… You should find him again; hunt him down or something. Maybe try to figure out why he tempts you like that.”

“Maybe you’ve got a crush,” Finn’s voice butts in.

I turn red. “Um, probably not. I’ll just find him, and, uh. Yeah, try to figure it out. Thanks for calming me down. I’m gonna go to class now.” I hang up on the two “later”s that I receive, then get up to check the time. I’m way too late to get to my original class, and I sigh and start to make his way to the library instead.

I spend a decent amount of time hunting down a few books, then make my way towards my French class. I’m still mulling over my thoughts from earlier, but it’s more of a background thing until I realize I’m late. I pick up the pace and run into the classroom, then quickly jog down to the professor.

“Sir, I am so sorry that I’m late,” I state, quickly digging out my homework and handing it over. “It won’t happen again.”

The professor smiles. “Don’t worry, Mr. Noveschosch. Your homework is always turned in on a decent amount of time, and you’ve held a solid A all semester. As long as you keep that up, I don’t mind.”

I’m still unsure. “I don’t want my attendance to go down, though….”

“Don’t worry, I won’t mark it as long as you keep that good grade.”

I finally give in and nod, then go find a spot to sit. My eyes land on the stranger from earlier; he sits with another man, but there’s an open seat on his other side. I also see that his cut from earlier is definitely not bleeding anymore. I decide to go for it, and step towards the space. The pair is talking between each other; the cute one from earlier looks flustered while his friend is amused. Said friend notices me first, and I give a small wave and smile. The cute stranger looks over, and I notice his cheeks turn a light pink color. Makes him even cuter.

“Hey, may I sit here?”

It takes him a second to nod. “Um, yeah, of course.” His friend nudges him, and he sticks his hand out towards me. “I’m Zak.” Even his name is cute.

I smile and take his hand, giving it a soft shake, glancing at the top of his homework to see a D. “I’m Darryl. How good is your French?” I ask to try to break the ice. He flinches a little, much to the amusement of his friend. “Not great? I can help you with today’s homework over lunch if you want?”

I have no idea why I suggested that. But it feels right, and there’s no going back anyways when Zak replies with a teasing grin that sets my stomach fluttering. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

I can’t help it; my face goes red, and I stammer a little as I try to find an appropriate response.

“I’m okay with whatever,” he adds with a small nonchalant shrug. “But yeah, I’d like some help. Who knows, maybe you’ll be a better helper than Vincent here.” He chuckles and nudges his friend, who mutters something about being too tired for this. “Do we wanna eat here on campus, or find somewhere off campus?”

I think for a moment, clearing my throat to get rid of the nervousness of the stomach butterflies. “Um, off campus works. Wendy’s sound good?” I throw out the one restaurant I can think of.

Zak nods, and I smile at him. We chat for another moment, deciding that we’ll meet each other there due to our class schedules, before Vincent, Zak’s friend, interrupts to mention the ending of French and going back to the dorm. They must be roommates, then. The two chat for a moment about a movie and not being out too late, and Vincent leaves us.

“So, sorry again for running into you this morning,” Zak apologizes, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

I wave it off. “Nah, it’s okay.” I remember running away and decide to apologize for that. I also throw out a half-hearted excuse, something about blood making me queasy. He says he’ll keep it in mind, and I smile as we leave the building.

However, my smile falls when I see that the rain has stopped, and the sun is shining between large holes in the cloud cover. Worried, I pull my hood up and tighten the strings around my face, hoping it’s enough. The sunlight tingles on my hands, and I stuff them into my hoodie pocket and hang my head, using my other senses to keep myself from walking into something.

“Everything okay?” Zak asks, surprising me as we enter the Arts Building. It’s sweet that he’s concerned, and I nod.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just sensitive to the sun. It’s a skin condition that I was born with.” Yeah, it’s technically a lie, but also, it’s really not. It’s not my fault I was reborn and the sun now hurts. I give a mental shrug as we come across the door to my class, and I mention so to Zak.

We split off from there, agreeing to meet at Wendy’s at noon, and I go into my classroom and get ready for my sculpture class. Luckily, today is a free day to practice with the clay, and I find myself spending the hour creating a young man in a hoodie and beanie. I also spend the time thinking about said man; I know I really shouldn’t let myself get that close to him, but I can’t help it. He’s too cute, and he just has this aura about him that draws me closer than I’ve ever been with anyone.

Even when it came to me meeting my friends, Geo and Finn, I didn’t feel the same connection as I do with Zak. It took a month before I started opening up to them, but I’d already practically admitted my…. condition, we’ll call it, to Zak. I have to be more careful. I don’t want anything happening to him.

Class ends, and I clean up my station and set my clay friend aside for the kiln. I gather up my things and head off to Wendy’s, anticipating the supposed date I have.


	3. Zak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN A WHILE D:< I HAD IT ALL WRITTEN UP I PROMISE
> 
> Mother has illegally taken my electronic items (I'm 18) and is claiming I am grounded from it all for the reason of "you haven't been doing enough chores well enough." And she refuses to tell me when she intends to return my objects, and I am very salty and this close to moving out and into my aunt and uncle's until I move further south with my friends.
> 
> As for how I managed to update this now: My great grandma is in the hospital for an unknown reason, Mother went to find out why and left us home unattended with our objects, so I stole my Chromebook back long enough to finish editing and post this chapter while I had the chance.
> 
> I have zero idea whatsoever when the next update of this, or any of my other works, will be completed, and I'm sorry for all the rambling, but I will let you get back to the fic now! Thanks for being patient with me!

The next hour or so passes agonizingly slow. I want to get out of here already; when the bell finally rings, I’m up and out of my seat faster than lightning, grabbing my homework, and rushing out the door. I check the time, relieved to see I’ve got a bit of time to try to slow down, and make my way towards Wendy’s. It’s very sunny out, and I wonder if Darryl will show up since he’s like, allergic to the sun or something like that. But I shove those worries aside and finish my quiet walk to the restaurant.

I’m relieved to see him already there, and I wave and offer a smile that he returns. He’s waiting on one of the outside tables, uncaring about the wetness of the bench, but turned away from the weak sunlight. He doesn’t share the wave, but it doesn’t bother me, and I slide into the seat next to him.

“Still got the raincoat?” he teases, and I wave it off.

“Didn’t have time to take it back to my dorm before I had to come to this. Besides, Vincent would have held me back and lectured me about safety and other bullshit like that.”

“Swearing’s bad for your health, you know,” he tries, but I see through his white lie and shake my head.

“Nuh uh. My friend Arran is in for psychology, and he says it improves mental health.” It’s not often that I actually listen to his ramblings about his classes, but I’m glad now that I decided to listen to his latest one.

“Still don’t like it,” Darryl states, crossing his arms. I notice that he’s careful to tuck his hands in right so they don’t catch the sunlight.

“Alright,” I relent easily. “I’ll try to keep my swearing down to a minimum then. I dunno what I’m gonna use instead of asshat for insults, though.”

Humor flashes in his gaze and he leans closer. “Call them a muffin. It has double meaning: first, they’re confused, then, they’ll be offended.”

I don’t agree, but I shrug and can’t help myself. “Alright, muffinhead.”

I’m pleased to hear his amusement in the form of gentle laughter, and I join in, ignoring the stares we get from other customers. We get up and go inside to order; we end up waiting in line for a while, due to lunch rush, but secretly I’m glad. It gives me a chance to get to know him a little better, after all.

By the time we actually get ordered and find a place inside to sit, I’ve discovered his favorite color is red, he has friends that don’t go to school in the area that he talks to nearly every day, and he has a dog named Lucy (Rat as a nickname) that stays with said friends. I offer similar information, including the fact that most of my friends go to the same college, with the exception of Ranboo; he’s a year or two younger than the rest of us, and won’t be going to college until the following year.

Biting into a fry as I sit down, I decide to bring up a topic. “So, any special friends I should be worried about?”

Darryl frowns, and I wonder if I’ve hit a nerve. “What do you mean by that?”

“Like, a partner, significant other, whatever you wanna call it.” I don’t want to be too forward, so I add, “I don’t want someone to come screaming at me for taking their boyfriend simply because I wanna make friends.”

His eyes glitter with amusement and he takes a bite of his burger before he answers. “Nope, no boyfriend. You?”

I try to ignore the little flip of hope my heart takes at the comment that confirms this cute boy in front of me is into guys, and I shrug and sip at my soda. “No one that I’m aware of. Had a girl the other day come up and ask me to escort her to Zelk and Mega’s Halloween party, but I turned her down. Wasn’t my type.”

Was that jealousy I just saw flash across his gaze when I mentioned the girl? “Oh? And what is your type?” he presses with a shy, but mischievous smile.

I make an effort of thinking, and decide a bit of flirting wouldn’t hurt. “Well, I like short brown hair and eyes that match, perhaps hidden behind glasses. Glasses are cute. Someone a little on the softer side, but still sticks up for himself. Offers help to those in need, so sweet. Oh, and pets are a nice touch. I like dogs.” Oh, he’s definitely blushing. I smirk. “Know anyone like that? I’m in the mood for a relationship.”

He shrugs in what could be seen as nonchalant, if it wasn’t for the nervous giggle he gives off. “I might. How about I give you my number, and I’ll let you know if I find anyone that fits your criteria?”

Now it’s my turn to blush; that was smooth, and judging by the grin that takes over, Darryl knows it. We exchange numbers and finish our meal, and he glances at the time and sighs. “Got somewhere to be?” I ask, disappointed when he nods.

“I’ve got a math class in twenty minutes.” He looks equally disappointed that our date is cut short, but I help him gather the garbage and offer to walk him to his class as I don’t have another one today, and he smiles and takes me up on it.

We talk as we walk, bringing up childhood stories. We stop outside his classroom, and reluctantly say goodbye as he goes inside. My feet feel like lead as I want back to my dorm, pleased to see my roommate inside. I know I’m in for some sort of lecture when he looks up from his homework with That Look.

I kick the door closed and drop my backpack on my desk, throwing my raincoat on my chair; it creaks with the effort of holding up the thing, and I think about the fact that I’ll have to get another one or coerce the school into getting me another. I plop down on the bed I’ve claimed as my own and look over at Vincent. “Alright, cough it up. I’m ready for the torment of your lecture.”

He sighs and closes his laptop, sliding it to the foot of his bed and turning to face me. “How was your date?”

Frowning suspiciously, I sit back up and tuck my legs into a knot beneath me. “Got his number.”

“Good. I know how universities are, so if you need it, there’s a pharmacy down the block.”

“Why the muffin would I need a pharmacy?” He gives me an odd look, and I shrug. “What? Darryl doesn’t like swearing.”

He raises an eyebrow. “So you’re willing to give up swearing, even when it’s just you and me, for this boy?” I nod, and he groans. “I might as well just get the box for you now.”

I immediately know what he’s insinuating, and I sigh. “To fast, dude. Too fast. Fuck you.” He grins at the swear word and continues.

“Just don’t do anything while I’m here, or if you know I’ll be back too soon for you to stop doing whatever you’re doing. I don’t wanna see that shit. But congratulations on finally getting the guy,” he adds with a smirk.

I throw my pillow at him, and it hits him in the face. This results in us in a full blown pillow fight, which ends with me standing triumphantly over my friend and demanding surrender, which he gives. I let him up and drop onto my bed. “So, Zelk and Mega's Halloween party. Are you going?”

He shrugs, glancing at his watch. “I might. I dunno yet.”

“You’ve still got a week and a half,” I tell him. “I was thinking of asking Darryl. I’ll be going either way, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be going with me.”

Vin nodded and sighed. “I’ll think about it while I’m in class. Also, work on that French work, sir. It’s horrible as always.” He grabs his jacket and bad and leaves, and I resign myself to my homework for the foreseeable future until something happens. Or……

I pick up my phone and find Darryl’s contact, typing a quick message.  _ What are your plans for dinner? _

It’s only a second before it shows that he read the message, and he alternates between typing and not for a moment before finally sending a message.

_ I’m sorry, but I have plans with Geo already :(  _

I’m typing out an understanding, but disappointed message, when another comes in.

_ We could do breakfast on Saturday, though :D _

Pleased with the compromise, I agree and decide I’m gonna go chill with one of my other friends instead of doing my homework. It can wait a few hours.

Darryl sends another smiley face and leaves it at that, so I grab my raincoat and head out to go find a friend to hang with until Vincent gets home and snaps at me about my work again.


	4. Darryl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know this chapter is a tiny bit shorter than the last one, and it's very dialogue heavy, but you get some nice reveals here. I have a good idea of where I want the next chapter to go, so I'm hoping to get it out in less than two weeks from now. No promises, but I'm writing the next chapter as you read this, so that's a start, right?

Two days pass in which Zak and I text constantly, learning new things about each other and planning where we’re going for breakfast. On Friday night, we decide on the small cafe that Geo works at just outside of campus. Unfortunately, I’m aware of how hungry I am when we bid each other goodnight, and I pull myself out of my bed. My roommate, Ant, looks up from his phone when I grab my jacket.

“Where are you off to?” he asks curiously. “It’s almost midnight.”

I give him a smile. “You went out last night to go see your boyfriend at like two.”

He blinks in surprise. “I thought you were asleep.”

I shrug. “The floors creak, and your jacket is pretty loud, too, you silly muffin.”

He scoffs, but the grin on his face shows that it’s lighthearted. “It’s not  _ that _ loud. You’re hearing things.”

To prove a point, I pick up the jean jacket that sits on Ant’s desk. The numerous chains and buttons that adorn it make a rather loud tinkling sound, and my roommate sighs. “Alright, fine, you win. I’ll stop asking questions, and I’ll try to be quieter when I sneak out at night. But only if you tell me why you’re going out.”

I sigh and come up with a mild lie on the spot. “Alright, fine. I’m just going out for a snack. I’m craving something specific.”

He seems satisfied with this answer and gets up as well. “Alright. I’ll leave with you, but for a different reason. Sam’s out for the night with a friend so I’m gonna go stay with Velvet.”

I don’t see an issue with that and we’re leaving the dorm together. However, we bid farewell to each other at the door; he goes down the hall to the left towards Sam and Velvet’s dorm, and I go down the right to the stairs. The chill of the night slaps me in the face as I exit the building, and I breathe it in with a pleased sigh. I catch a whiff of what I’m looking for, its sweet coppery scent teasing me, but I force myself to ignore it and instead head off campus and to my friends’ house.

It doesn’t take me long to get there, and just as I knew it would, the porch light is on and the door opens as I step onto the porch. Rose’s smile greets me, her hair pulled up into a loose bun and pinned out of her face with small butterfly clips. She simply opens her arms, and I give her a hug and sigh. “Aware as always, huh?”

“You know I can always sense when you’re near. Especially when your emotions are as strong as they are tonight. Hungry?” She releases me and pulls me into the house, closing the door. “Geo, get some tea going. You know the kind.”

A really yipping white dog comes barreling into the room, and I smile and drop to my knees to pet my fluffy dog. She’s pleased to see me, and I snap a few pictures with her with Geo's phone and send them to myself to show Zak later.

I hear the tea kettle start in the kitchen and take a seat on the couch with Rat as my friend comes in with a plate of red cookies. Relieved, I take one and bite into it. The flavor eases my hunger pangs a little, and I sigh softly and finish the cookie in a few short bites. “Thanks.”

“How long as it been since you ate?” Geo asks softly, taking a cookie himself before pushing the plate closer to me. 

I shrug and take another. “Wednesday, I think.” He clicks his tongue at me, then goes to finish the tea. “I usually wouldn’t need to eat again for another week. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I do know I need to eat tonight, though, before I go eat breakfast with Zak tomorrow.”

Geo comes back with three steaming mugs of thick red tea, and I take mine from him and give it a gentle blow before sipping at it. I thank him, but then pause at his inquisitive gaze. “What?”

“Something about this boy has got you all worked up,” he says, stating the obvious. “We need to figure out why that is.”

I sigh and down the rest of my tea, appreciating the warm taste that slides down my throat and finishes quelling the hunger in my stomach. “I’m well aware of that, you muffin. I just don’t know how to go about it.”

Rose clears her throat. “Have you considered that he may be your soulmate?”

I choke on air. That was not what I was expecting her to say. “What?! What are you talking about? We don’t have soulmates.”

“When’s the last time you looked at your compass?” she presses gently.

I hesitate, remembering how horrible that day had been. “It’s been black for a dozen years, Rose….. I don’t bother looking anymore.”

She sighs and seems to give up, offering me another cookie. “Fine, but you’ll regret it at some point. I have a feeling about this boy.”

I take another handful of cookies and scrub Lucy’s ears. “The compass went black when I was turned; just like both of yours did. It doesn’t work anymore, because our soulmates are, or were, human, while we’re entirely different.”

Geo clears his throat and scoops up the empty tea mugs. “You know, I read somewhere that if a vampire’s soulmate is changed, the compass works again.”

I feel a spurt of anger, and force it down with a deep breath before I say something I could regret. “I’m not going to turn him just to see if he’s my soulmate. Besides, not everyone even has one!” I take a deep breath to calm down, and continue in a quieter tone. “There’s too many other options to risk it. He could not have a compass, or he just hasn’t found them yet, or he has found them and just hasn’t told me yet.”

“Darryl, calm down,” Geo says softly. “I was just telling you about it. I don’t actually expect you to do anything about it.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Look, I say you take the opportunity to make a friend while it’s here. Even if that’s all you end up as, at least you’ll leave your dorm or our house more often.”

I roll my eyes at him, but the teasing is appreciated and it’s accompanied by a smile. “Okay, look. Ant and I are friends.”

“You need more than three friends,” he replies with a smile of his own. “Now, are you going to stay here tonight, or go back to your dorm?”

I think about this. On one hand, I’d like to stay here with the two who had become my family (and my Rat), but on the other hand, I’d left my phone in my dorm, and I’d actually be alone for the night with Ant staying with Velvet. I also have breakfast tomorrow with Zak, and I sigh and stand up, giving Lucy some more head scratches before I set her down. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll go back to my dorm. You’ll both see me tomorrow morning anyways,” I add.

Rose and Geo both get up and give me hugs, and I get handed a go bag of cookies to hold me off before I leave. I return to my dorm room and check my phone, seeing no messages. I find my mind wandering to thoughts of Zak, and then to the possibility of him being my soulmate. Despite myself, I have to fight the urge to break down for the first time in years to look at the magic compass tattoo that’s etched into my lower back.

It’s a losing battle, and I strip my shirt and go to the full length mirror on the back of the door, turning to get a good look at it. I’m disappointed, but not surprised, to see that the pointer that was once vibrantly red is still the same black as the backdrop for the rest of the soulmark. I push aside the heavy sigh that rises in my chest and go to bed, making sure my alarm is set.

As I doze off, my mind is filled with more fleeting thoughts of Zak, and my dreams are pleasant.


End file.
